Courageous

You can correct me if I am wrong, but I really cannot think of anyone who wants to be known as a coward. Especially as young boys growing up, we always pretended to be the heroes. The one who faces danger and swoops in to save the damsel in distress, who was extremely beautiful and would fall in love with the hero. Let’s be honest, after all, what beautiful woman wants to fall in love with a coward anyway?

The same should be true of our Christian walk. Some years ago, the Christian group Casting Crowns wrote a song called Courageous. It speaks to the very truth that as followers of Jesus, we are called to be brave, heroic, and courageous. The word of God calls us all to be just that, and we see this in the book of Hebrews. In this text, we see that to live courageously, we must live by faith. The writer of Hebrews gives many examples of this in chapter 11. These are the ones that lived believing a promise that they could not see and none saw before they passed on to eternity, yet they chose to live heroically, courageously. In chapter 10 verses 38-39 we read these words, “But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

We see the line drawn in the sand between those who live courageously and those who live as spiritual cowards, and I’m afraid there are a lot of those in our world. As I stated earlier, we see a list of courageous people who lived by faith, and by faith alone. There are some more verses I would like to share, and these should stir us up. Chapter 11:35-39, “Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised.”

Like I said, this should stir us up. This is the record of true heroes, those who suffered, really suffered for the cause of Christ. My challenge for us today is to gaze into the mirror of our hearts and ask the questions, “Am I truly courageous in my faith? Am I living a life that, as verse 16 of chapter 11 says, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” Let us today be courageous for our Lord, the One who gave His life for us, that we may have life, and have life abundantly.